THE PLUM. 145 



The Egg Plum, or Yellow Magnum Bonum, is 

 a very large plum, of a sweet agreeable flavor, 

 but as the texture is rather coarse, is chiefly used 

 for cooking and preserving. The same remark ap- 

 plies to the Red Magnum Bonum. These two are 

 admired as table fruit where finer varieties are un- 

 known. 



There are some other fine varieties, as the Jef- 

 ferson, Lawrence gage, and Bleecker's gage, well 

 worthy of cultivation. 



DISEASES AND ENEMIES. 



The chief are the Curculio, and the Black Ex- 

 crescences on the limbs. 



The Curculio, represented in the 

 annexed figure, (fig. 31,) is a 

 Fig. 31. small insect not more than a quar- 

 ter of an inch long, of a dark brown color, the 

 sheaths covering the wings slightly variegated 

 with lighter colors, the body resembling in size and 

 appearance a ripe hemp seed. 



About the time the young fruit 

 attains the size of a pea, the 

 curculio begins its work of de- 

 struction. It makes a small 

 crescent shaped incision in the 

 young fruit, and lays its egg in 

 the opening. The presence of the egg may be 

 easily detected by these incisions upon the surface ; 



the annexed figure, (fi>. 32,) represents one of 

 10 



